{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://hurd.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-hurd-leads-legislation-providing-important-regulatory-relief-americas", "Rep. Hurd Leads Legislation Providing Important Regulatory Relief for America\u2019s Livestock Haulers", "2025-07-24", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Jeff Hurd", "H001100", "hurd.house.gov", "hurd", "https://hurd.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Last week, Congressman Jeff Hurd (CO-03) introduced the Hauling Exemptions for Livestock Protection (HELP) Act (H.R.4500) with strong support from Colorado and national stakeholders. This legislation permanently exempts livestock, insect, and aquatic animal haulers from federal Hours-of-Service (HOS) regulations, recognizing the unique demands of transporting live animals. It builds on a successful COVID-era FMCSA Emergency Declaration that allowed these haulers flexibility while still operating at an excellent safety level. Congressman Hurd was joined by Congressmen Tracey Mann (KS-01), Gabe Evans (CO-08), and John Rose (TN-06) in leading this legislation.\n\n\u201cThese provisions regulating livestock haulers have proven time and time again to be unnecessary and burdensome,\u201d said Rep. Hurd. \u201cLive animals have unique care needs and require flexibility to be safely transported along the supply chain, and frequent road closures and adverse weather makes this flexibility especially important in Colorado. The HELP Act provides this critical regulatory relief and allows haulers to continue delivering for our producers and food supply safely and effectively, as they\u2019ve shown for over two years during the pandemic.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnyone who has spent time around agriculture knows that livestock requires unique care and flexibility,\u201d said Rep. Mann. \u201cThe Department of Transportation\u2019s hours of service and electronic logging device rules fail to take that reality into account and puts unnecessary burdens on livestock, livestock haulers, and the nation\u2019s food supply chain as a whole. Our bill rolls back these burdensome regulations and gives our nation\u2019s livestock haulers the flexibility they need to keep our food supply chain strong.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the Representative of Colorado\u2019s 8th district, one of the richest and most productive agricultural regions in America, I am proud to cosponsor Representative Hurd\u2019s Hauling Exemptions for Livestock Protection Act,\u201d said Rep. Evans. \"This commonsense legislation is a win for our farmers, livestock haulers, and the animals they transport\u2014ensuring livestock can be moved safely and efficiently while supporting our nation's food supply and keeping Colorado agriculture strong.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs an eighth-generation farmer, I know the challenges of hauling live animals safely,\u201d said Rep. Rose. \u201cThe HELP Act provides much-needed relief from burdensome regulations, allowing haulers to prioritize animal welfare without unnecessary delays. I\u2019m proud to support this common-sense bill that protects our farmers, strengthens rural communities, and keeps our agricultural supply chain moving.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn behalf of Colorado\u2019s ranching families, the Colorado Cattlemen\u2019s Association thanks Representative Hurd for his leadership in introducing the Hauling Exemptions for Livestock Protection (HELP) Act,\u201d said Curt Russell, President, Colorado Cattlemen\u2019s Association. \u201cThis long-overdue fix acknowledges the unique reality of hauling live animals\u2014you can\u2019t simply stop and take a break. Livestock haulers need flexibility to prioritize animal welfare, safety, and timely delivery. This legislation provides much-needed certainty for producers and haulers alike, and we strongly support its passage.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Colorado Wool Growers Association appreciates Congressman Hurd\u2019s leadership on the Hauling Exemptions for Livestock Protection Act (HELP Act),\u201d said Bonnie Eddy, Executive Director, Colorado Wool Growers Association. \u201cLivestock haulers have an excellent safety record, and it\u2019s imperative that once loaded with livestock, trucks keep moving to their final destination. In the summer, air flow is vitally important for the comfort of livestock, and minimizing hauling time in the winter is conducive to reducing stress. Onerous and unwarranted regulations negatively impact the many small, family-owned trucking businesses that provide a vital link in America\u2019s food chain.\u201d\n\n\"Colorado Farm Bureau appreciates the introduction of the HELP Act by Congressman Hurd. This legislation is so important to the industry because it helps protect the integrity of the supply chain and safeguards the animal welfare of our livestock,\u201d said Carlyle Currier, President, Colorado Farm Bureau. \u201cExempting livestock haulers from the hours-of-service requirements will help mitigate stress on livestock and lessen the effects of shrink, putting money back into producers' pockets. Thank you, Congressman Hurd.\"\n\nIn addition to these Colorado organizations, the HELP Act is supported by a wide variety of national stakeholders, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen\u2019s Beef Association, American Beekeeping Federation, American Sheep Industry Association, American Horse Council, American Quarter Horse Association, and the National Aquaculture Association.\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T14:40:33Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://hurd.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-hurd-leads-legislation-providing-important-regulatory-relief-americas"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.910602044314146, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}